Reaffirming cultural ties: Indian envoy inaugurates Ashoka pillar replica, Buddha relics at Sri Lanka temple

Colombo, July 22 Marking a significant moment in the shared heritage between India and Sri Lanka, a replica of King Ashoka's Vaishali Pillar of Dhamma and a special exposition of the sacred Kapilavastu Relics were inaugurated by Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha in the Raja Guru Sri Subuthi Maha Viharaya Temple in the island nation.

Taking to X, the Indian High Commission called it the event a symbol of "deep historical, cultural and spiritual India-Sri Lanka ties."

The event took place at Raja Guru Sri Subuthi Maha Viharaya, situated in Sri Lanka's coastal town Waskaduwa. This is a significant Buddhist temple, known for housing sacred relics of Lord Buddha and his two main disciples -- Sariputra and Maudgalyayana.

Jha also joined Most Ven. Waskaduwawe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero, head of Amarapura Sambuddha Sasanodaya Maha Nikaya, and inaugurated a special exposition of the sacred Kapilavastu Relics in the temple.

"High Commissioner also conveyed best wishes to Most Ven. Thero on his birthday, and offered prayers for his long life," Indian High Commission said in a post on X.

Buddhism is one of the strongest pillars connecting the civilisations of India and Sri Lanka from the time when Ashoka sent his children Arhat Mahinda and Theri Sangamitta to spread the teachings of Lord Buddha at the request of King Devanampiya Tissa of Sri Lanka.

Earlier in April, during his visit to Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, visited the Jaya Shri Mahabodhi Temple in Anuradhapura to seek blessings.

The temple holds immense spiritual and civilisational significance for India and Sri Lanka. The temple is home to a Bodhi tree believed to have been grown from a sapling brought from India by Theri Sanghamitta, daughter of Emperor Ashoka.

Highlighting centuries-old spiritual ties between India and Sri Lanka, PM Modi, during the visit, announced that the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha found in 1960, in the Aravali region of Gujarat, are being sent to Sri Lanka for an exposition.

Underlining the deep people-to-people connection and shared Buddhist heritage between India and Sri Lanka, the venerated relics of Lord Buddha from Kapilawasthu, discovered in 1970 in India, have been exhibited two times in Sri Lanka.

The first time was in 1978 when they were brought to Sri Lanka and drew crowds of nearly 10 million people. In 2012, at the request of the then Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, the relics once again travelled from India to Sri Lanka to commemorate the 2600th anniversary of the Enlightenment of the Buddha.

The venerated relics from the Waskaduwe Vihara have also been exhibited in India in October 2015 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution, embracing Buddhism along with 500,00 followers, where over 8 million people came to see the relics and paid homage.

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